The One With Sadie Hawkins

As I was buttoning up my shirt yesterday morning, Brad turned to me and asked, "Is this a little too crazy?" (Referring to the idea of pairing a navy blue shirt with his gray, stripped slacks)


"Uhhh...not unless you consider THIS crazy looking..." (Me referring to MY blue shirt/gray pants outfit that I already had on)Of course Brad just grins, throws the navy shirt on and says "it'll be like Sadie Hawkins!"

My response with eye rolling: "Just make sure we don't meet up for lunch today."

The One With Betty Crock

You might be thinking that I forgot the ‘er’ in the title of this post, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. When I was young, there were a couple of “mishaps” in the Bubel kitchen, which is when my mom and I started teasingly referring to one another as Betty Crock, since we definitely didn’t fit in the Betty Crocker category. Although I have to say, I don’t think my mom can be called Betty Crock anymore after the delicious pies she made for Thanksgiving. I, on the other hand, still fit in the ‘Crock’ category.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I found a recipe on a blog about an easy-peasy, super yummy, cooked strawberry pie. There wasn’t a lot of ingredients or a lot of steps, so I thought for sure I could pull it off. I’m not sure why I thought this, especially when I don’t even own a pie dish or rolling pin.

The end result?

A disaster-zone kitchen…

…followed by a disastrous pie.

I should point out that the pie in the picture does have a missing slice, but that was quickly filled in with runny, strawberry goo.

Maybe, I should try something easier next time – like Pillsbury break-n-bake cookies. ;)

The One That Was Only A Year Ago

I was just recently going through old photos and found a couple of pictures from the first day we brought Copper home. It's been exactly one year since we rescued her and it's amazing to see how much has changed in that one year. This photo is my favorite because it shows what used to exist only a year ago:

- 8 lb Copper
- Plants with purple flowers
- Green grass

As of today, none of those things can be found in our backyard.

The One With Kabobs and Pear Ale

Memorial Day Weekend came and went, and left us wishing for 3 day weekends more often. We had a great time staying close to home and having friends come by to visit. We had Jason, Michelle and their two dogs (Barkley and Bella), along with Phil and his girlfriend, Jessica, hang out with us for most of the weekend.

Saturday afternoon was spent at dog beach. (Beach photos from Michelle)

Saturday evening we headed to Stone Brewery hoping to join in on a free tour. Unfortunately, all tours were booked for the day, so we settled for drinking beers and pear ale outside in their beautiful gardens.

That night we BBQ’d corn on the cob and chicken and steak kabobs, while Phil made (and tried to re-teach me how to make) his Spanish rice. (One day I’ll make this on my own, but for now, I stick with my rice-in-a-bag)

Everyone left us on Sunday afternoon, but not until after we played a couple hours of trivia on Sporcle.com. (Seriously, this website is addicting- Brad and I played another couple of hours after everyone left!)

The rest of the weekend was spent sleeping in, watching Netflix and doing some errands. All in all, it was a great, relaxing weekend. Hope everyone else enjoyed the Memorial Holiday!

The One Where I Was Tricked

For our first anniversary, Brad and I decided to keep things more ‘low-key’ since we’re planning a big vacation this summer. So instead we made dinner reservations at the same restaurant that our wedding reception was held at and made a pact to not buy any gifts for each other.

Last Friday, I come home to find this waiting in the entry way…

I immediately start reminding Brad that we made a deal of no gifts and warn him that the Tiffany’s box better be one of my old ones with a nice letter inside. (Side note- my family reuses random boxes all the time when wrapping gifts. For Brad’s birthday, my parents gave him an Aldo shoe box with worn shoes inside and a gift card hidden underneath it all.)

So, when I opened the box, I was relieved to see no jewelry inside, but a little confused by what I did find. It was a digital camera memory card that just so happened to go with the new Nikon DSLR camera that Brad had waiting in the kitchen!

I should mention here, that in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been doing some research on DSLR cameras because we thought it would be a good idea to get one before our trip this summer. However, every time I brought a camera to Brad’s attention, he’d say that it was too technical looking, too pricey, too simple, etc and that I needed to keep doing my research. So at this point I was beginning to think that he was over the idea of a DSLR.

Little did I know, he had already purchased one and was just making me feel stupid. (Thanks Brad)

I can’t be too upset, though - I love the new camera and can’t wait to mess around with all the settings. So expect to see lots of (probably random) pictures like these from this past weekend:

Overall, I think it's pretty safe to say that I got lucky in the husband department. As for Brad, I feel guilty that all he got was a greeting card that wasn’t even from the ‘anniversary’ section. When he asked what section I found it in, I teased that it was from the ‘sympathy’ section. (I actually found it in the ‘love’ section, but a sympathy card might have been more appropriate- “Sorry- all you get is this piece of construction paper for our wedding anniversary. Love- your crappy wife”)

The One With The LOST Series Finale

Did anyone else wake up this morning and have their first thought be: ‘I can’t believe the LOST series finale last night’?

Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t seen the 2 ½ hour LOST series finale then (1) shame on you and (2) stop reading this and go watch it now!


I have to admit that at first, I wasn’t sure if I liked the finale. I almost felt like it was anti-climatic since most people were guessing from the beginning that the Oceanic 815 passengers were actually dead the whole time and that the island was some sort of purgatory/limbo area of death.

Yet at the same time, I also thought it was cool how they brought everyone together for the final scene and that the last screen shot we see is when Jack closes his eyes. (Whereas the entire series began with a shot of Jack opening his eyes)

So now, after reading the blogs today (and having other people scrutinize the lines/scenes from the final episode) I think I understand what the writers were getting at and now I actually REALLY like the ending of LOST.

Although, there are lots of un-answered questions (What the heck was ‘The Source’ of the Island all about? And what about those numbers?), I really liked the idea that only the flash-sideways was some sort of purgatory where the Oceanic passengers could meet up before “moving on” together.

I found the following passage on another blog that I think describes the meaning of the flash-sideways perfectly:

People seem to experience the purgatory universe as a natural process of dying, as a place where they can recollect the choices they made in their lives and ultimately find peace with their death. Each Lostie is oblivious of the true nature of the Flashsideways universe, trudging through their mundane lives (perhaps endlessly?) until they are faced with a moment of realization that it is better to “let go”. For each Lostie, the circumstance for their relevation is different, but generally involves a moment of deep connection with another person they met on the island. For Kate, it was delivering Aaron and realizing it is time to stop running. For Locke, it was being cured of his dependence (both physically and emotionally) on his wheelchair — which he had been using as a crutch (pun intended) to hide from reality. For Jin and Sun, it was being reminded of the daughter they brought into the world. And for Jack, it was finding peace with his father’s death. In all cases, the Losties seemed to find peace and accept death by resolving an emptiness they had suffered in life, often through the people they met on the island. They learn that a fulfilled life isn’t necessarily about the big things we accomplish (or leave unresolved), but about the people we meet and affect (and who, in turn, affect us) along the way.

At this time, I’d also like to point out that although Brad and I watched 4 ½ hours of LOST on the night of our first wedding anniversary, we did take time out of the day and early evening to celebrate this milestone in our life. AND – I actually have pictures to prove it – which you’ll see why in a later post! ;)

But for now, we say farewell to the TV series LOST - you will be missed - especially now since I'm finally beginning to understand what the heck is going on!

The One Where We Got Married

{One Year Ago}

I still can't get over the fact that it was one year ago today that Brad and I were married. Some days it seems like it was just yesterday we were deciding what ties the groomsmen would wear. Other days, it feels like it all happened an eternity ago. (Although, I may be confusing our wedding day with the amount of time Brad and I have been together - which is getting close to 9 years now) ;)

And then there's those few days (okay, a lot of days) that I wish I could do it all over again!

Regardless of how long it's been, Brad and I will always cherish the many special details and memories of that day, however, at the same time, we look forward to the new events and experiences we'll share with each passing anniversary.

On that note, I'll finish this post with a poem that was suggested by my Grandma Billie and was included in our ceremony programs:

Union ~ by Robert Fulghum

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way.

All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real processes of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband. This is my wife.